One Hundred Dollar a Month, reader, Sandra, recently sent me in a quick tip on reusing wrapping paper and I thought I’d share.
I personally have never thought to give a new, un-crumpled appearance, but with her tip being so simple and quick, I definitely will in the future.
She writes,
“When I was just out of college and had no money, I reused wrapping paper by first ironing it with a dry iron. That sharpened it up so it looked new. Just keep the iron moving, and don’t let it scorch. Don’t try it with the foil or Mylar wrapping paper, though!”
Great tip, thanks Sandra!
Have any of YOU done this before? Does anyone in your family make it a habit to try and save the wrapping paper their gifts come in? {The Girl and I do, but the boys usually tear their gifts open}. 😉
~Mavis
Tammy says
A few years ago, I made about 8 fabric gift bags in various sizes. So that cuts down on the paper gift wrap that we use (since it is just my husband and me and our daughter, we don’t have a lot of gifts to wrap). I have never reused wrapping paper, it’s just too much hassle for me.
Lana says
My Mom used to do this. She never saw a piece of wrapping paper she did not love and could never part with any of it so she started reusing it by ironing it.
Nancy Sadewater says
Grew up saving gift paper as well and did for many years. I am working on making gift bags now.
Rosemary Calhoun says
I don’t save the wrapping paper because it usually gets torn to shreds when the gift is opened. But I do save the gift bags and tissue paper. If the tissue paper is really crumbled up, I will use it as packing material to cushion items that get mailed out. Another way to use wrinkled paper is to run it thru a paper shredder and then use it as packing material.
Pam T says
I see the bags and tissue also. Great idea about shredding too!
Tamara says
Of course! Raised by my Depression Era “waste not, want not” grandparents (who were the most frugal AND most giving, generous people I have ever known), I too have never seen a used wrapping paper I didn’t love. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from interceding when another person is ripping their gift paper to shreds. Through the years I have decreased the habit of saving EVERY bit of paper, string, ribbon, jar, etc., EVERY box and used envelope; however, I am pretty frugal and try to reuse as much as possible.
Ann in Chicago says
Growing up, my older sister lived in New York City and all of her presents came in beautiful paper. We saved it and reused it. I loved seeing that beautiful paper year after year. I still save paper. To me it is like seeing the ornaments each year, and it is frugal and wastes less. If something is very wrinkled I iron it, set on low. I particularly iron ribbons and tissue paper.
Elle says
Not me. I use gift bags and nice boxes. They are easily reusable . Tissue paper gets refolded and reused. If I receive a paper wrapped gift, no, I do not save it for reuse.
Je says
I love wrapping paper and if I see special paper on gifts I try and save and yes I have ironed it but not for years. Now I’m nostalgic wishing I had some from years ago, it is just like looking at old ornaments.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
For years, I saved every scrap of paper, tissue and ribbon. Now, I don’t come across much wrapping. Even ripped paper can be used to wrap a much smaller gift.
MB says
I save almost all wrapping paper unless it’s super torn. I also re-use gift bags and tissue until they are too ratty. I do this mostly from an environmental stand point- it kills me to see beautiful paper go in the trash! I try and wrap things in useful items- like a cute reusable grocery bag or a tea towel. When my kids were little I’d wrap presents for the grandparents in the kids’ art work.
It has always driven my family crazy how slowly I open presents and fold the paper but I love the pretty packaging and hate to see it thrown away.
Katelyn says
I don’t reuse paper but I have a sweet story about my mom, who saved the paper from her baby shower when she was pregnant with me. When I was pregnant with my daughter, her gifts to me were wrapped in that paper.
And yes, I did save it again!
Terena says
What a sweet story and such a lovely idea!
Fiona Jerome says
When I was a kid my mother saved paper and made us all open our presents carefully along the sticky tape seams so she could collect in the paper and reuse it. I don’t remember her ever ironing it, though. She was very frugal. When she died there were hundreds of yards of string in the garage made from small pieces she’d knotted together and saved. Of course, growing up there was nothing I wanted to do more than rip presents open like people on TV did… but as I get older I like to save nice papers and find another use for them too.
Carol says
I played the piano for my niece’s daughter’s wedding, and so I was here when they were cleaning up. I asked “what are you going to do with that aisle runner?” Throw it away, said they. I salvaged it, beautiful white non woven paper with embossed floral images. When her baby was born, I used that to wrap her gift. I have yards and yards of that paper.
JANET WALKER says
That is an awesome idea! Wish I had the crafty talent, but somehow it passed me by! Now give me some yarn, I can make lots of things! lol
Jude DeWitt says
My church uses a non-woven material for the aisle runner. I use it to make patterns for sewing and for a stiffener in garments that need a little structure..
Linda Sand says
Yes, I have ironed gift wrap paper. I grew up in a very frugal family with parents who lived through the depression. When Scott made Magic Tape it become easier to save paper without tearing it. I did eventually make fabric wrap but not bags. I just hemmed fabric and used it just like paper wrapping tied with ribbons. (Which were usually ironed and used again, too.)
Dee says
my great-aunt used to do this. every occasion she collected EVERYONES wrapping paper and reused them
Katherine says
My mom saved wrapping paper until gift bags became popular and she started saving those. I use old paper maps, the comic section of the newspaper and other easy to recycle papers as my wrapping paper. My grandkids think it’s hilarious that I wrap some of their gifts in Target toy circulars and the like. Everyone takes the time to look/read their wrapped gift which makes the exchange last a bit longer and creates memories we would not otherwise have.
Teckla says
I have no children of my own, and you can call me a Scrooge if you like, but since gift giving in my family is now just for the kids (nieces and nephews) all 9 and under, I don’t even consider it. They rip the paper to shreds and wad it all up in their hurry to get the package open, never even seeing the paper or how nicely a package is wrapped, then toss it onto the floor. I buy the cheapest paper and bows I can get and am not really particular about how nicely a present is wrapped since they never even notice and couldn’t care less. I do take care with the few birthday and adult Christmas presents I give because the older folks appreciate pretty wrapping as well as the gift. My sister and I both save bows that haven’t been trampled on and gift bags. I guess things come so much easier for the kids today that they never think about what things cost or the effort that their family put into getting them gifts that they like. It’s disappointing and I feel sad about it, but have accepted that it is what it is.
Sue says
I don’t save paper, but I use grosgrain fabric ribbon and reuse it year after year! It’s easy to iron and it looks crisp and beautiful no matter how many times I use it. It’s a bit pricey for the initial purchase, but once you have it, you have it! Grosgrain ribbon can be found on sale periodically throughout the year at craft stores.
Chet says
I used to be in the banquet business. We had many Christmas parties. Any decent paper that was left behind went home with me.
Always had a great variety of wrapping paper
AJ says
Me, too! The cater staff would parcel out the bows, centerpieces, gift bags, and decor that the parties left behind. I took home bouquets, balloons, votive candles, and gift wrap, all of which would have been trashed per our event contracts.
Patti says
Yes, I have done that but mainly I save the good parts of the paper and recycle the rest. I love to wrap presents rather than use gift bags. We had a great wrapping paper business here in town that sold good, thick paper for school fundraisers. When it was bought out, they had a warehouse sale and I bought enough to last a lifetime.
Linda says
I iron used tissue paper also.
Christine Hagen says
I don’t reuse wrapping paper, it is not worth the time to me. However, do have a stash of ribbon that we reuse. The kind you use for crafting, sewing, and decor. The wired ribbon is my favorite to use.
Sue says
I don’t use wrapping paper, but my mother wanted us to open presents carefully so the wrapping paper could be reused. I do recall her ever ironing any of it, though.
Linda S says
When I was dating (and later married) my husband, I was a little stunned when his mother handed everyone a paring knife on Christmas. They were to be used to ‘carefully’ cut the tape on the packages so the paper could be reused. (And she could easily afford to buy new paper every year.)
Cindy Miller says
Save bows only.
Jenny says
Oh, yes, I do! But not as much as I used to- way back when, paper was nicer and cost more, so it was frugal to save it. A lot of the paper today is pretty poor quality and not worth trying to save. If I could put the gift wrap paper in the recycling, I’d feel less guilty about not saving it, but our recycling company says no- cheap thin paper and bad dyes mess up the process. My Mom ironed old paper, and I have a few times- a hint I learned was to use a curling iron or other hair appliance for ribbon because it’s always out on the bathroom counter- no need to set up the ironing board for 1 piece of ribbon!
Christy says
Save tissue paper as packing material, ribbons for various uses, a little bit of paper if from a large box and gift bags if still in good condition. When we were kids, my mom wrapped all our birthday gifts in the Sunday comics. Being green before it was a thing.
Beau W. says
My mom used to get The Sunday comics in the newspaper. I always use the newspaper for wrapping presents. Gives a vintage style and look. And its cheap.
Wynne says
I love that look!